PTI approaches IHC over acceptance of MNAs' resignations

ISLAMABAD: The PTI approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday, over the issue of the acceptance of the resignations of its  112 MNAs from the National Assembly.

The PTI lawmakers tendered their resignations en masse after the Imran Khan government was ousted through a no-confidence motion. Out of 123 MNAs, the resignations of only 11 had been accepted. 

In the joint plea, PTI members, including Ali Mohammad Khan, Shireen Mazari and others have stated that the National Assembly (NA) speaker "unlawfully" declared them as having resigned from their seats.

They appealed to the court to order  NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to fulfil his constitutional duty of accepting the resignations.

The lawmakers also requested the court to ask the speaker to call those who have filed a petition and the other 112 members.

According to the petition, the speaker should check that the lawmakers who tendered their resignations did it voluntarily under Article 64. 

"Without hearing the petitioner, the Speaker cannot attain the level of satisfaction required by the law by the virtue of which the resignation can become effective," read the petition. 

The petition also stated that the speaker had also de-seated  10 other members, including one member Abdul Shakoor Shad, who also had not appeared before the speaker.

"The speaker had assumed that the resignation of Abdul Shakoor Shad, was valid and had accepted the same and sent the matter to ECP which also had de-notified Shad and decided to hold elections in his constituency," it added.